Your bare feet gently hit the stone as you take your time walking down the uneven, rough stairs. You hold a wicker basket tight against your hip, the purple streams of your clothing floating in the breeze as you sway. Your wear you hair up half down with two braids leading back and being tied, the deep chocolate locks falling on your hips and bouncing against your back with each step you take. The scratchy basket is filled with lavender, fresh, and ready to be sold.
The tufts of lavender are the same color of the dress you wear, and you also wear some in your hair. The strands are tucked behind your ear and woven through the braids, creating a crown-like effect in your hair. You find that some men will specifically pay for the ones in your hair, which makes you uneasy. It's very odd, but they pay well, and that's what you need after all.
You hear the clacking of little hooves as you briefly glance down to see your goat, Bubs, following you. He's black with small speckles of gray covering his back, his eyes a deep blue that seem to pierce your heart with joy. He playfully bounces everywhere, jumping off the wall and occasionally chewing on the hem of your dress. He's a few months old, still tiny, but full of energy.
As you begin to turn a corner and finally look up, you are confronted with a man and jump back in surprise. He is short, fat, but relatively clean shaven. You recognize him as one of the creepy ones that buys the lavender from your hair but are relatively relieved at the opportunity to pocket some coins. He stands right before you, only a foot separating you from him.
Immediately halting, you release a gasp as you push a strand of hair behind your ear.
"Hello, sir! Any lavender today?" You kindly question, holding out your basket for him to observe. He takes a deep whiff, leaning over the basket before aggressively grabbing your hand. His brown tunic is stained with sweat and you cringe.
"You know I want the one from your pretty little locks." He purrs seductively, eyes scanning you as if you were his prey.
You reach to grab the small one tucked behind your ear and hand it over. He carefully grabs it, bringing it to his nostrils and inhaling sharply before his eyes flutter closed.
"It smells just like you..."
It unnerves you every time he makes a purchase. Some customers seem to disregard your friendly disposition as a tease, and he is definitely crossing the line.
"That'll just be the same amount as normal." You gently relay, instinctively putting the basket as a barrier between you.
He hands you the silver coins but quickly grabs your waist and aggressively pulls you to him, causing you to drop the basket with a loud crash. Your goat cries out in fear, his high pitched noises trying to help as he leaps along the now spilled lavender.
"You know I'd pay you more if you put that lavender somewhere else for me...." He sadistically growls in your ear as he tries to bring your body closer.
"Get off me!" You shout desperately.
"Then I'd get to know what you really smell like..." He whispers in your ear and you let out a high pitched scream.
"Hey!" You hear a familiar voice call out somewhere behind you.
You push off of him forcefully with a snarl, tripping backwards and knocking into something a few feet back.
You turn to see none other than the hound, his armor gleaming in the sunlight. His face still with the brutal scarring of the fire, you watch as he wears that same smug grin.
"What's going on here?"
"Stupid whore here won't listen to me, you know how they are." The fat man states, arms folded.
"You can't whore in the streets, girl. If you want to make money with your cunt it must be in a brothel." He apathetically commands. He has an apologetic look now as he glances at you, something unusual.
The man immediately laughs and begins to walk away, but not before reaching low and grabbing your ass. You turn to confront him but feel yourself being held back. You angrily thrash in their grasp and your noises alert the goat to crying out once more. You painfully watch as the man snickers while running away, turning a corner and disappearing before your eyes.
"Let me go! Let me gooo!" You cry out, frustration pouring from your body.
"Let him go, stupid girl!" He commands, his voice straining trying to hold you.
"I'm not stupid, and I'm not a whore!" You yell, fists pounding at his armor to release you.
You slip through his grasp and fall from his arms, your hands smacking against the ground as you crumple on the stone. You release a whimper if pain as you collide against the hard surface, forehead hitting roughly and feeling dizzy.
"Easy, girl, easy." You hear the hound soothe as he leans down to help you but you swat him away.
You begin to pick up bits of lavender from the ground and put them in your basket as you you hold your head, trying to ease the throbbing pain. You notice large handfuls of lavender being put in your basket and see the hound frown as if sorry.
Your head hit the pavement hard, and you can feel a little trail of blood falling from your hairline. You feel the goat nudging you with his face, and you pet him as you stand up, holding him in your arms as you hold your head painfully.
Suddenly the hound reaches his giant hand to bring out a handkerchief and then brings it up to your forehead. You wince in pain as he wipes some of the blood away, but let him continue his ministration.
"I'm sorry, girl."
"I'm not a whore." You state, your voice serious and face reflecting it.
"I know that, but the only way he would leave is by saying that."
You angrily stare at the ground beneath you until he begins again.
"You can't be doing this." He calmly motions to where the fat man once stood.
"Doing what? Selling flowers?" You scoff at his ignorance. It's your only way of living.
"It'll get you killed."
"I'll die without it."
"Don't be difficult."
"Don't be stupid."
He inhales a deep breath before speaking.
"Don't you have something better to do? Find some cunt to marry and raise kids to start a family. Don't you want a family?"
Oh no. The question you had been dreading. You'd seen the hound around a few times but never wanted anyone to know that you are the only surviving member of your family.
"Not really. It's only me left now." You state emotionlessly.
"Apologies, my lady. I didn't mean to bring back any harmful memories."
He knew? Oh great. Now, you're pissed.
"It's fine. I'm fine. And I CAN do this to make money." You proudly state, standing tall before him.
"It would be safer for a girl like you to work in a brothel ya know. At least there they can protect you. People like him will take you for fun and for free." He stubbornly states.
You wince at his words.
"I can protect myself." You assure with raised eyebrows.
"Not against them."
"I can handle THEM myself."
"I can't come to save you every fucking time."
His words surprise you until you begin to realize that at every encounter with a customer that could have been dangerous, he was always nearby. A few clients and deals went wrong, and he was always somehow right there to deescalate the situation before it erupted. He had been watching out for you this whole time.
"What do you want." You apathetically state.
"I'm just trying to apologiz-"
"You don't have to apologize. Just leave me alone. I don't need you." You scoff and attempt to walk away but stop when you feel two hands on your hips.
You try to fight but he turns you to his body and hugs you to him. You begin to relax into his grasp and it starts to feel kind of nice. His body is warm against yours, safe. Everything feels natural; that is, until you feel something pressing against your abdomen.
"Ser, your dagger is pressing on my stomach." You whine as you break apart from him to see his face flush and no weapon. The only thing evident is his arousal.
"I know what you want. Trying to save the day once again and hope I sleep with you."
He looks shocked as you back away from him.
"I thought you were better than that. I really did." You shake your head in disappointment at him.
"It's not-" he attempts to explain but you angrily interrupt.
"Even if I WAS a whore," you emphasize the word as you look him in the eyes, "you couldn't pay me to be with you." You angrily seethe.
You immediately grab your basket again and put the goat in it, turning away from him in frustration as you rush down the stairs.
"Girl!" You hear him call out, but you ignore it. You've already wasted enough time dealing with him that you probably lost the guy that grabbed you.
You run down alleyways, looking for the man who touched you, barely paying attention to anything as you search desperately for that worthless piece of-
You are suddenly spun around and pushed into a wall, a hand laid over your mouth and a sharp sensation on your neck to keep you from calling out. You look to see the same man as before, only now, he has another man with him. The other man looks thinner and dirtier than the man that touched you, and holds another sinister looking knife in front of you, holding a finger to his lips in a signal to be quiet. He puts the basket with lavender and your goat on the ground, setting it aside as you feel the other man's knife dig into your sensitive skin. You feel moist droplets trickle down your neck, and know he's drawn blood.
Bubs cries out his little "bah's" as the thin man grabs him and puts him in a clay pot outside the alleyway. He's too small to get out, and you know you're stuck.
"Shhhhhh. There, girl. If you shut that pretty little mouth of yours, then this won't hurt." The fat man coos.
Your chest heaves rapidly and your eyes widen as you see him holding up the small bundle of lavender you sold him. He twists it in front of you with a sinister grin before beginning to trail it down your chest.
He brings his filthy hand to cup your crotch, your thick dress the only barrier between you and him.
"Now, all I wanted to do was tell you how to make more money. You'd be the top seller in Kings landing if you put these in your panties... could you imagine the smell of it, Lan? The sweet and musky combinat-"
You lift your leg to his crotch as powerfully as you can. The fat man releases a cry and leans over, but his knife still sliced your neck. You release a gasp and lace your fingers around your neck, mouth wide open from shock. The maroon liquid is running down your arms now, the cut not deep enough to be fatal, but you feel lightheaded from the loss of blood. You fall to the ground and try to crawl to the alleyway, bloody handprints trailing behind you. Just as you reach the edge and place your fingers on the stone, you feel yourself being pulled back.
You can't even fight the strong hands pulling you as you helplessly watch blood smear in front of you as you are dragged back to hell.
The thin man holds a knife to you as the fat one straddles you.
"You're gonna pay for that, you dumb cunt." He viciously spits, hand roaming to fall to your dress. You feel his fingers desperately scrambling under your clothes, and you try to scream. The fat man's hand muffled your cry, and tears fill your eyes as you see the knife being raised in the thin man's hand. You close your eyes and feel an odd splash of liquid on your body.
Suddenly, you are covered in blood, but not your own. Your face is splattered, and you blink rapidly to figure out what is happening. You finally notice that the thin man is not standing above you, and you can feel a puddle of blood forming where his body must be.
The fat man's eyes widen as he looks to see something above you. He carefully lifts himself off you and attempts to explain himself, but he is interrupted as a sword is pushed deep into his stomach. He gurgles before falling to the ground, grabbing his tummy to keep his entrails from escaping once the sword is removed.
You quickly turn to see the hound, covered with blood, holding your goat. He sets him on the ground, and he bounds over to you, releasing a series of scared cries. You little Bubs in your arms and hold him to your chest, the tears finally escaping now. Bubs has a few drops of blood on his nose, and you lift part of your dress to wipe it off, giving him kisses.
It is then you remember the hound's presence, and drop part of the dress that exposes more of your leg than should be.
"Thank you! Thank you so much!" You cry, running towards him and engulfing him in a tight hug. He releases a slight groan as your body impacts his, but he then returns the gesture as you feel his strong arms hold you close.
"Girl, if you keep holding me like this we're going to have a repeat of why you stormed off." He gently adds as you loosen your grip but don't yet surrender him.
"How can I ever thank you?"
"You can start by getting your goat out of my crotch."
You look down to see Bubs nudging him near his pelvis, horns digging into his armor.
"Oh!" You shout as you bring him back away from the hound, releasing a nervous giggle.
"And you can let me watch over you as you do your daily walks."
You smile as you picture the two of you talking as you stroll along the rocky stairs.
"That seems fair." You comment playfully.
You watch as he leans in and plants a kiss on your cheek. You close your eyes as his lips brush your cheekbones, his rough beard caressing your soft skin.
When your eyes open, he is standing proudly above you.
"And we can do more of that."
"These are a lot of demands for a man that said I was a stupid girl." You casually add, sarcasm evident.
"A smart girl doesn't run into danger."
"A smart man does not go after the girl in danger."
At this he chuckles as he places an arm around your shoulder and guides you out of the dirty alleyway. Your eyes squint as you adjust to the light, and you finally get a good look at him. He's more handsome than you remembered. Strong jaw and cheekbones along with piercing eyes.
He looks down to you in confusion.
"What's wrong?" He asks.
"Thank you for looking out for me."
He considers your comment before a happy smirk consumes his face and you smile in return.
"Always."
